


and the backs of my eyes hum with things I've never done

by lucasfletcher



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Barista Ashton, M/M, also a college au, he also loves autumn, i think it might be a thing, kind of a coffee shop au, luke is awkward again in this one, theres a lot of plot holes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-04
Updated: 2014-09-04
Packaged: 2018-02-16 04:14:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2255529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucasfletcher/pseuds/lucasfletcher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You butthole,” says Michael, when Luke tells him what happened, as they flip through the channels of their floor's common room’s TV. He slaps the back of his head for good measure. Luke returns it with a punch to Michael’s noodle arm. </p><p>“Just learn how to talk to people, it’s not that hard,” he says after a minute, and receives another punch. </p><p>“I know how to talk to people,” murmurs Luke into a pillow he’s clutching to his chest, and definitely doesn’t think about the way Ashton’s eyes shined behind his black framed glasses.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and the backs of my eyes hum with things I've never done

**Author's Note:**

> soo i wrote another thing (which still isnt the sugar daddy!au, but we'll get to that)
> 
> the autumn thing is completely self-indulgent and this has turned out differently than i imagined, but like i needed some fluffy college au and this is the result 
> 
> i dont even regret staying up this late writing it tbh, sorry for the mistakes
> 
> title from welcome home by radical face

Luke has always loved autumn.

 

He loves how summer slowly fades away and autumn takes its place, the warm breeze changing into a harsh wind, leaving his lips chapped and hands trembling from the cold. He loves the shorter days and early sunsets, dying leaves in piles under the naked trees. The air changing its smell, and pumpkin spice _everything._ Also cloudy days, when he doesn’t catch even a glimpse of sunlight. And that he can wear sweaters and his favorite boots any day, because he doesn’t sweat in them anymore. He welcomes the cold, even though sometimes it gets too chilly and the only way to get warmer is to hide in a corner of his favourite coffee shop.

 

The little coffee shop is just a few minutes from his dorms and the campus, always full of stressed or tired and grumpy students, trying to get caffeine into their systems, not aware of the slowly developing addiction – just like Luke. It’s his favourite, because it’s cozy and not too expensive and they sell the best apple pie, like, _ever_ and also start selling pumpkin spice _everything_ earlier than everywhere else. (Definitely not because of the cute waiter, that works every other day, his nametag reading Ashton. Not like Luke’s stalking him, he’s just a _regular._ )

 

The pavement under Luke’s feet is full of holes and the holes are muddy puddles. He absentmindedly kicks the rotting leaves with the tips of his boots and pulls the edges of his sweater over his palms. The sun doesn’t warm him up anymore. He’s focused on his steps, and so he’s not surprised of the impact his clumsy body makes with another one. A pair of arms grabs his shoulders to steady him.

 

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking-” Luke pauses mid-sentence, when he notices who exactly he has collided with. It’s the cute waiter with his curls and dimply smiles and _holy shit,_ Luke didn’t even know he wore glasses. There’s a heart speeding and palms sweating, and then the boy – Ashton, is speaking, with his fucking voice of an angel that has Luke melting into a puddle. He suddenly feels warmer all over.  

 

“It was my fault, don’t worry about it,” he smiles at Luke. Luke’s stomach does this weird flop.

 

“I, uh… I’ll just…” Luke nearly trips over himself in his effort to move away from Ashton, flopping through the biggest puddles as he runs the opposite direction. “…go,” he mumbles to himself and slaps his hand against his forehead. He’s _such_ an idiot.

 

“You butthole,” says Michael, when Luke tells him what happened, as they flip through the channels of their floor's common room’s TV. He slaps the back of his head for good measure. Luke returns it with a punch to Michael’s noodle arm.

 

“Just learn how to talk to people, it’s not that hard,” he says after a minute, and receives another punch.

 

“I know how to talk to people,” murmurs Luke into a pillow he’s clutching to his chest, and definitely doesn’t think about the way Ashton’s eyes shined behind his black framed glasses.

 

Michael fixes him with a stare. “I meant people that aren’t me or Calum. Where is he anyway? His lecture should have already ended, I want my tea.”

The raven haired boy appears just a few minutes later, already in sweatpants, clutching three paper cups with familiar logo that has Luke remembering his embarrassment again. “Hey, bitchatchos. What’s up?”

  
He hands Luke his drink, and the smell of coffee has his mouth watering.

 

“Luke’s incapable of acting like a normal human being around other people, but like that’s not news. What took you so long?”

 

“Chatted with Ashton for a few minutes, funny lad, he sometimes goes to my football games.”

 

“Ashton?” Luke asks in a small voice and clutches his pillow tighter.

 

“Yeah, from the coffee shop? Big smile, dimples, curly hair?” describes Calum.

 

“Oh,” mumbles Luke, while Michael lets out a different _oh._

“Luke definitely knows who you’re talking about, don’t you?” Michael teases and Calum settles beside Luke, taking the remote control. Luke regrets telling Michael about Ashton.

 

“Shut up, Michael.”

 

“What?” Calum confusedly furrows his eyebrows.

 

“Our little Lukey has a crush on him,” Michael pokes his side, while Luke mumbles another shut up. “But he can’t talk to him because he’s an awkward butthole.”

 

“Stop calling me that.”

 

“Butthole, butthole-”

 

“I hate you.”

 

…

 

Luke tries to avoid the coffee shop for as long as possible. He’s kind of miserable without his coffee and he accidentally rips a hole in his favourite sweater. (He also hasn’t seen Ashton in a few days, but he denies that is the reason his mood varies from different stages of sad to grumpy and surly.)

 

Calum gets tired of it, eventually. He waits for Luke in front of his lecture building one day and drags him to the coffee shop. He doesn’t even have to use force, because the bribery in a form of a free apple pie works and also Luke doesn’t even have the will to protest much.

 

They wait in the short line, Calum talking Luke’s ear off, while he rethinks every one of his life choices and wills his heart to stop beating every time he catches Ashton’s voice carry out throughout the hum of the shop. He finally convinces himself, that he can make it and everything goes to shit when Ashton smiles at them.

 

“Hey guys, how are you?”

 

When Calum realizes Luke’s going to just gape at Ashton and not say anything, he rolls his eyes and elbows his best friend in the ribs. “We’re fine. How is work?”

 

“Boring. Well, most of the time,” his eyes rest at Luke for a moment longer, but maybe he just imagined that, “Anyways, what will you be having today?”

 

“One pumpkin spice latte for me and Luke…” Calum elbows Luke again and he nervously bites his lip.

 

“Yeah… that and, um, the apple pie, please,” murmurs Luke, but Ashton must’ve caught it, because he smiles softly at him.

 

“To go?”

 

Calum says “No.” at the same time Luke says “Yes.” and they glare at each other, until Luke sighs.

 

“We’ll be staying.”

 

…

 

“He was flirting with you.”

 

“No he was _not,_ shut up,” Luke kicks Calum’s shin under the table.

 

“I saw the looks. He likes you back, you know.”

 

“No. We’re leaving now.”

 

Luke finishes his coffee, pulls on a hoodie he shed, when he realized it was too hot inside and makes his way to the doors, Calum following behind. He calls a quick goodbye to Ashton over his shoulder, but before they can exit, a voice stops them.

 

“Hey, um, Luke!”

 

Luke’s eyes nearly bulge out of his head. “Y-yeah?”

 

“Could I talk to you for a second?”

 

When Luke doesn’t move, Calum pushes him towards Ashton, who’s left his spot at the counter and is slowly walking his way.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I was just wondering, there’s this party tonight at my mate’s house and I don’t have anyone to go with, so I was like, hey, I could invite you, but like I get it if you-”

 

“Is this a joke? Did Calum tell you to do this?” Luke interrupts him, when he remembers that he has to breathe.

 

“Well, he kind of did, but he only mentioned that you’re interested in me and I was like…”

 

“Oh god, no, I… I’m sorry, this is so embarrassing, I-I have to go,” Luke turns away, he can feel the tears prickling at the corner of his eyes and he blinks them away, but Ashton grabs his shoulder to stop him from leaving.

 

“No!” he almost shouts, making a few eyes turn their way, “I mean… I’m serious, Luke. I’m interested in you, too. So, as I was saying, I get it if you don’t want to go, but please, at least consider it. I’ll give you my number, so you can then just text me and then I’ll come pick you up?” he phrases it almost like a question, and Luke just nods dazedly, his mind still not quite catching with the words flowing from Ashton’s mouth in rushed tones.

 

…

 

Michael proceeds to text Ashton from Luke’s phone, when the younger boy makes no effort to do it himself. Then he and Calum force skinny jeans, T-shirt and a black denim jacket onto his body, while he pulls his hair up into a quiff with shaky hands.

 

Five minutes until Ashton comes pick him up, and he’s mildly nervous. Well, maybe really fucking freaking out would be a better word.

 

“I can’t do this. I’m a fuck up, I can’t interact normally with human beings, you said it yourself.”

 

“Listen here, you little butthole,” starts Michael, ignoring Luke’s _hey_ of protest, “you said Ashton told you he’s interested in you. So you can’t fuck up _that_ badly. Well, you can, since you’re you, but-”

 

Before he can continue, Calum slaps his hand against his mouth. “You’ll do great. Go get your man.”

 

His best friends’ words throw his mind on overdrive. And so of course when he meets Ashton at the entrance of his dorms, his first words are “I like your shirt,” instead of greeting him, like a normal person would. He indeed likes his T-shirt, recognizes the band on it, but he also likes the way Ashton’s skinny jeans cling to his skin, as he unashamedly checks him out. He can’t embarrass himself any further, he decides.

 

Ashton chuckles softly. “Hi, Luke. I like your shirt, too.”

 

That leads to a conversation about music, as they make their way to the party. Ashton carries most of it, but it doesn’t seem like he minds and Luke doesn’t either. He could listen to Ashton all day, though he’s still tense and self-conscious around him.

 

Ashton maybe notice the way he plays with his fingers, and surprises Luke by stopping and putting a hand on top of his. “Hey… don’t be nervous. It’s just me.”

 

“Yeah, exactly,” Luke’s mouth fails him again, and it’s like he’s already drunk, but off of Ashton’s simple presence.

 

…

 

Ashton’s clutching his hand, as he expertly leads the way through the house, where the party is already in full swing. He’s throwing hi and heys around, and Luke just awkwardly trails behind him, an uneasy feeling settling into his stomach.

 

“What are you drinking?” he asks Luke in the kitchen, already rummaging through the fridge.

 

“Whatever you’re having,” says Luke, because there are too many bottles to even recognize any alcohol besides beer.

 

“Captain and coke it is then.”

 

Luke presses himself against the corner of the counter and watches how Ashton prepares their drinks into plastic cups, tongue poking out in concentration. When he hands Luke one, he immediately takes a gulp and lets the alcohol flow down his throat, hoping to ease some of his nerves.

 

“Hey, Luke, if you’re feeling uncomfortable, we can leave anytime, yeah? Just tell me,” his hazel orbs gaze into Luke’s and oh god, as if it wasn’t enough, he’s also caring and everything and Luke just…

 

He takes another swig of his drink instead.

 

“Let’s party,” he says weakly and moves his arm up and down. Ashton dimples at him.

 

…

 

When Luke said his _let’s party,_ he didn’t even think he would find himself splayed out on the counter, after somebody yelled body shots and Ashton pulled him into the circle of people. But he is _so_ drunk and he isn’t feeling like he’s being judged while he pulls of his T-shirt, because of that.

 

Ashton’s fingers put the lime between his teeth and he smirks at Luke. He leans down and licks a hot stripe up Luke’s neck, then salts it and starts sucking. Luke’s eyes roll to the back of his head, relishing the feeling of Ashton’s plump lips on his neck. Someone pours tequila into his belly button and he almost spits out the lime in his mouth, because it _tickles_ , but Ashton starts licking it out and sucking on his stomach and Luke forgets how to breathe.

 

Everything feels so hazy to Luke, but he’s also hyper aware of Ashton’s movements. Smoke is filling is senses and the beat of the music from the speakers is pounding through his body, his head swimming and hands clutching the side of the counter, until his knuckles go white.

 

The liquor runs down his happy trail, behind the waistband of his boxers and Ashton follows it with his tongue, dipping behind the elastic band to catch every last drop. Luke can hear the catcalls, but he ignores it, focusing too hard to will himself to keep it in his pants.

 

Ashton presses a series of open-mouthed kisses up Luke’s chest and then they gaze into each others’ dilated pupils. When Ash sucks onto the lime, they are still holding eye contact, but then their lips brush in the process and Luke feels hot all over and Ashton spitting out the piece of fruit, pressing his lips to Luke’s.

 

Luke tangles a hand into Ashton’s curls and pulls him even closer, while their tongues meet and oh _god,_ this has to be the most amazing thing ever. Luke’s feeling lightheaded, as they make out right there, tuning out all of the people around them, lost in each other.

 

Luke doesn’t want to stop kissing Ashton, but they have to catch their breaths eventually, panting into each other’s mouths. Ashton then grabs Luke’s T-shirt and helps him get down, immediately holding onto his bare waist, as they make their way through the crowd, Luke plastered against Ashton.

 

Every little touch is lighting his skin up, he’s burning from the kiss, lips stinging. Ashton leads them to the backyard, where he falls into one of the lounge chairs, taking Luke with him. He doesn’t wait too long before reconnecting their lips again in even filthier kiss, hands trailing all over.

 

The cold air is hitting their skin, but Luke doesn’t care, Ashton’s presence keeping him warm. The burning stars glimmer in the sky above them and, yeah, Luke thinks, he really loves autumn. But this one might just be his favourite.

 

**Author's Note:**

> taaaaaaaalk to me on tumblr at ashtnwins


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